UPDATEDAUTO-REFRESH 5 MIN
Red grouperRetention openBar · Florida
Pelican Reef
29.17°N · 83.08°W · Bar · Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM
Species here · tap to switch
- Best of all
- Atlantic croaker75
- Gray snapper75
- Red drum74
- Gag grouper69
- Black drum66
- Gray triggerfish66
- Red grouper66
- Red snapper66
- Southern flounder66
- Spanish mackerel66
- Atlantic tarpon65
- Florida pompano65
- Crevalle jack64
- Permit64
- King mackerel63
- Greater amberjack59
- Spotted seatrout57
- Cobia54
- Sailfish51
- Yellowfin tuna50
- Wahoo44
- Mahi-mahi42
- Sheepshead35
Best score today · 9 AM · Red grouper
- Now
- 669 AM EDT
- Best window
- 9 AM-7 PMEbb tide
- Tide now
- Flooding2.7 ft ▲
Data from: NOAA CO-OPS + NDBC + ECMWF + Open-Meteo Marine · Waterlands engine
Notify me when Pelican Reef scores 75+
Checked every morning against the 14-day forecast. Free by push and email.
14-day forecast
Best days to fish
24-hour conditions · rolling from now
Conditions · 9 AM · now
Tide & current
NOAA CO-OPS + Open-Meteo Marine
100Tide: FloodingCurrent: 0.2 knWind & pressure
ECMWF
96Wind: 6 kt NEPressure: RisingWater temp & sky
NDBC + Open-Meteo Marine
68Water temp: 86°F, hotLight: DawnSolunar: Between periodsSeas: 0.7 ftSeason & habitat · Red grouper
Species seasonality
68Season: ShoulderHabitat: Prime structureDepth: Out of rangeRegulations: Retention open
Current regulations
What you can keep here today
Gulf state waters (Escambia through Collier counties)
Red grouper
Retention open- Daily limit
- 2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined)
- Possession
- Not published
- Size
- Minimum 20 in, total length
- Season
- No closed season on file
- Annual quota
- Not published
- Other
- Private-vessel anglers need the State Reef Fish Angler designation. Charter captain and crew bag limit is zero in state waters. No more than 4 grouper combined per person per day. Reef fish gear rules apply. Land with head and fins intact. Open year-round in Gulf state waters. Federal waters close February 1 through March 31 seaward of 20 fathoms.
From FWC Recreational Regulations: Groupers, read Sep 13
Other species here
- Atlantic croaker Retention open
- Black drum Retention open (5 per day)
- Bluefish Retention open (10 per day)
- Bonefish Catch & release (No retention)
- Cobia Retention open (1 per day)
- Crevalle jack Retention open
- Florida pompano Retention open (6 per day)
- Gag grouper Retention open (2 per day (4 Gulf grouper combined))
- Gray snapper Retention open (5 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Gray triggerfish Retention open (1 per day)
- Greater amberjack Retention open (1 per day)
- King mackerel Retention open (3 per day)
- Mahi-mahi Retention open (10 per day)
- Permit Retention open (2 per day)
- Red drum Retention open (1 per day)
- Red snapper Retention open (2 per day (10 snapper combined))
- Sailfish Retention open (1 per day (1 billfish combined))
- Sheepshead Retention open (8 per day)
- Snook Retention open (1 per day)
- Southern flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Spanish mackerel Retention open (15 per day)
- Spot Retention open
- Spotted seatrout Retention open (5 per day)
- Summer flounder Retention open (5 per day)
- Tarpon Catch & release (No retention)
- Wahoo Retention open (2 per day)
Source: FWC · synced yesterday
Seasonality · 52-week view · this week ringed
When Red grouper is best here
Shoulder season for Red grouper · 27 more weeks at shoulder
- Peak
- Shoulder
- Off
- This week
Spot profile
Pelican Reef
- Depth
- 3-5 ftFlat bottom
- Structure
- Reef · Outer · Semi-exposedReef · flat bottom
- Season
- Shoulder seasonRed grouper
NOAA NCEI DEM, sampled Sep 13 on a 3.4 m grid. Depths are feet below NAVD 88, not chart datum (MLLW), so they can differ from a chart by a few feet. Not for navigation.
About this spot
Fishing Pelican Reef
Pelican Reef is a bar in Coastal waters from Tarpon Springs to Suwannee River FL out 20 NM, Florida. Depth is 3-5 ft, with a flat bottom. Its profile reads reef, outer water and semi-exposed.
Waterlands scores 23 species here; the best right now are Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum. It is peak season now for Atlantic croaker, gray snapper and red drum, and shoulder season for gag grouper, black drum, gray triggerfish and red grouper. Atlantic croaker peak from July through September. Gray snapper peak from June through September. Red drum peak from September through November.
Tackle & technique
- Red grouper
- Red grouper live on low limestone ledges and potholed live bottom across the West Florida Shelf, mostly in 60 to 250 feet. Drift to find hard bottom, then anchor and fish live pinfish, grunts or squid on the bottom with stout conventional tackle. Reel hard right after the bite, because they dive into holes, and use a descending device on fish released from deep water.
- Atlantic croaker
- Croaker feed on mud and sand bottom along channel edges, oyster bars, piers and deeper holes in bays and sounds, mostly in 5 to 30 feet of water. A two-hook bottom rig with small hooks and shrimp, bloodworm or squid catches them from piers, the surf and small boats. Fish the hours around high tide and into the evening.
- Gray snapper
- Mangrove snapper hold tight to mangrove roots, bridge pilings, jetties and reef ledges, from a few feet deep inshore to 150 feet offshore. Chum to pull them out of cover, then freeline or lightly weight a live shrimp or pilchard on fluorocarbon leader, since they shy away from heavy line in clear water. The bite improves at dusk and after dark.
Nearby spots
Other spots within an easy run
- Number Four Channel76
Channel · 1.1 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Gray snapper 73
- Red drum 71
6 kt NEH 12:08 PM · 3.8 ftL 7:04 PM · 0.8 ft
- Derrick Key Gap76
Channel · 1.3 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 76
- Gray snapper 73
- Red drum 71
6 kt NEH 12:05 PM · 3.9 ftL 6:47 PM · 0.5 ft
- Black Point74
Cape · 1.3 mi
Top: Red drumPeak season- Red drum 74
- Atlantic croaker 72
- Gray snapper 67
6 kt NEH 12:05 PM · 3.9 ftL 6:47 PM · 0.5 ft
- North Bank73
Bar · 1.9 mi
Top: Atlantic croakerPeak season- Atlantic croaker 73
- Red drum 71
- Gag grouper 68
6 kt NEH 12:08 PM · 3.8 ftL 7:04 PM · 0.8 ft
Scores and forecasts are for planning only and can be wrong. Conditions on the water change fast; check the marine forecast before you go. Regulations change during the season, so confirm limits and closures with FWC before you keep a fish.